The Master Blaster

In Kluge’s latest, disparate lives clash in the remote U.S. territory of Saipan, an island in the Pacific known for its WWII battles and territorial wrangling. A late-night plane to the island deposits a group of misfits, including Stephanie Warner, a middle-aged professor who is vaulted to prominence at Saipan’s tiny college and is considering a split with her husband. With her are George Griffin, a travel writer going to Saipan to contemplate a daring career move; Max Brodie, an older businessman with the seeds of a good idea; and Khan, a young Bangladeshi desperate for an opportunity and trying to avoid exploitation—or worse. The beaches are nice, but as the half-empty hotels and massage parlors attest, this is a place on the margins. The complex world that exists in this U.S. commonwealth’s shadows is chronicled by the Master Blaster, an elusive and widely read blogger who is the not-so-secret target of those whose corruption he exposes. The new arrivals become quickly entangled with local intrigue and with each other. They are all pulled into Saipan’s conflicts until the island threatens to consume more than just their money. Though Kluge (Gone Tomorrow) delivers a detailed sociopolitical commentary about a fascinating spot, a somber noir pallor makes the story less exciting that it could be. (Apr.)